A woman rides a bicycle past a lit restaurant window on the Koningstraat in Haarlem at night, with string lights outlining rooftops down the street.

A city I keep coming back to.

Haarlem by night

Evening walks in a city I keep coming back to. Photographs from different seasons, between the Grote Kerk, the canals and the streets that connect them.

A black door with ivy climbing the brick facade beside it opens onto Smedestraat in Haarlem at night, the illuminated tower of the Grote Kerk rising in the distance down the cobbled street.

Best man's home

A close friend of mine is from Haarlem – he was also my best man. I return here often. Compared with Amsterdam, it feels less crowded and less hurried, with more room for everyday life. That’s a large part of why I like it. The location helps: Amsterdam in one direction, the sea in the other. Zandvoort is roughly half an hour away by bike (or about fifteen minutes by train). You can spend the day at the beach and be back in town for the evening.
A neon light outline of the Grote of St. Bavokerk's silhouette glows orange above a Haarlem street, with the church's actual stone tower rising behind it at dusk.

Grote Kerk

The Grote Kerk is the point everything gathers around. Its tower appears at the end of streets, above the rooftops. Below it, the Grote Markt is lined with bars and restaurants, including the Amadeus Hotel with its bright Heineken sign. At Christmas, the church’s silhouette becomes part of the street decorations: the lights hanging above the streets trace its outline. You can see both versions in some of these photographs, the stone tower behind its glowing double.
A woman rides a bicycle past a lit restaurant window on the Koningstraat in Haarlem at night, with string lights outlining rooftops down the street.

On foot or by bike

Haarlem makes the most sense to me on foot or by bike. Along the Nieuwe Gracht, walking gives you time to look at the elegant houses and their reflections. A gracht is a canal built into the city, with streets and houses along its banks. This one dates from the seventeenth century. After dark, the lit windows stretch across the water, with small boats moored below. These photographs come from evening walks at different times of year, gathered over several visits.
A hotel facade in Haarlem lit pink and purple at night, with a green Heineken sign glowing above and closed patio umbrellas on the square below.

“The Amadeus Hotel in Haarlem glows pink at night, a lit Heineken sign above and cafe umbrellas on the square below.”

A cyclist rides down a dusk street in Haarlem lined with lit shopfronts, including the neon "Coffeeshop Empire" sign, bare-branched trees, and a church tower in the distance.
A black door with ivy climbing the brick facade beside it opens onto Smedestraat in Haarlem at night, the illuminated tower of the Grote Kerk rising in the distance down the cobbled street.
A neon light outline of the Grote of St. Bavokerk's silhouette glows orange above a Haarlem street, with the church's actual stone tower rising behind it at dusk.
A woman rides a bicycle past a lit restaurant window on the Koningstraat in Haarlem at night, with string lights outlining rooftops down the street.
A large compass rose paved into the cobblestones of the Grote Markt square at night, with the illuminated facade and tower of the Stadhuis Haarlem in the background.
Rowboats and parked cars line the Nieuwe Gracht in Haarlem at night, illuminated brick townhouses and their lights mirrored in the still canal water below.
Rowhouses with stepped and bell gables line the Nieuwe Gracht canal at night, their lit windows and facades reflected in the still water, cars and small boats parked alongside.
A hotel facade in Haarlem lit pink and purple at night, with a green Heineken sign glowing above and closed patio umbrellas on the square below.
The statue of Laurens Janszoon Coster stands on a pedestal in a Haarlem square at night, with restaurant terraces and illuminated brick buildings behind and a church tower to the right.
KrochtSmedestraatGrote of St. BavokerkKoningstraatStadhuis HaarlemNieuwe GrachtNieuwe GrachtAmadeus HotelGrote Markt

Krocht

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A cyclist rides down a dusk street in Haarlem lined with lit shopfronts, including the neon "Coffeeshop Empire" sign, bare-branched trees, and a church tower in the distance. Haarlem Aug 16, 2026 A black door with ivy climbing the brick facade beside it opens onto Smedestraat in Haarlem at night, the illuminated tower of the Grote Kerk rising in the distance down the cobbled street. Smedestraat, Haarlem Aug 17, 2026 A neon light outline of the Grote of St. Bavokerk's silhouette glows orange above a Haarlem street, with the church's actual stone tower rising behind it at dusk. De Grote of St. Bavokerk te Haarlem Aug 18, 2026 A woman rides a bicycle past a lit restaurant window on the Koningstraat in Haarlem at night, with string lights outlining rooftops down the street. Koningstraat, Haarlem Aug 19, 2026 Rowboats and parked cars line the Nieuwe Gracht in Haarlem at night, illuminated brick townhouses and their lights mirrored in the still canal water below. Nieuwe Gracht reflections Sep 08, 2026 Rowhouses with stepped and bell gables line the Nieuwe Gracht canal at night, their lit windows and facades reflected in the still water, cars and small boats parked alongside. Nieuwe Gracht by night Sep 09, 2026 A hotel facade in Haarlem lit pink and purple at night, with a green Heineken sign glowing above and closed patio umbrellas on the square below. Amadeus Hotel in Haarlem Sep 10, 2026 The statue of Laurens Janszoon Coster stands on a pedestal in a Haarlem square at night, with restaurant terraces and illuminated brick buildings behind and a church tower to the right. Standbeeld Laurens Janszoon Coster Sep 11, 2026